Trash & Recycling in San Bernardino, CA (2026)
9 verified trash & recycling rules for San Bernardino, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Pickup Rules & Schedules
Only the city's franchised hauler may collect garbage, recycling and organic waste in San Bernardino, and Municipal Code Section 8.24.040 requires every collection to be made as quietly as possible. The City Manager sets and can change collection hours citywide.
San Bernardino Trash Pickup Hours Rules
Some RestrictionsSan Bernardino Municipal Code § 8.24.040(A)(2)-(3)
(2) No person, solid waste enterprise or the agents, servants or employees thereof shall provide solid waste collection services within the city without approval, which shall be issued only on a vote of the City Council. All recycling, organic waste and garbage collections shall be made as quietly as possible, and the City Manager may fix and determine the hours for collection. (3) Except as ex...
Bin Placement Rules
San Bernardino requires solid waste containers to stay out of the public right-of-way and out of sight except on collection day. Municipal Code Section 8.24.060 also bars storing carts in the street and sets rules for keeping bins clean, covered and undamaged.
San Bernardino Trash Container Placement Rules
Some RestrictionsSan Bernardino Municipal Code § 8.24.060(A)
All persons occupying or maintaining any premises within the city where garbage, organic waste and recyclable materials are created, produced or accumulated shall maintain sufficient standard containers for receiving and holding all garbage, organic waste and/or recyclable materials which are produced, created or accumulated on such premises. No containers shall be allowed to be stored in the p...
Bulk Item Disposal
Large household items like furniture, appliances and mattresses are bulky waste under Municipal Code Section 8.24.010 and are collected only as a special service. Customers must contact the franchised hauler directly to arrange pickup, and charges follow the city's franchise agreement.
San Bernardino Bulky Item Pickup Rules
Some RestrictionsSan Bernardino Municipal Code § 8.24.010 (SPECIAL SERVICES); § 8.24.040(E)
SPECIAL SERVICES. Any solid waste or solid waste related services that are not provided in the city's normal course of solid waste related services, including, but not limited to, pick-up service for bulky waste, container repair, container exchange and/or replacement, roll-out service and additional unscheduled collection. ... (E) Special services. Customers requiring special services shall co...
Mandatory Organics Recycling
Every residential, commercial and multi-family generator in San Bernardino must subscribe to organic waste and recycling collection sufficient for the waste they produce. Municipal Code Section 8.24.090 requires proper separation of materials and gives non-compliant generators 30 days to fix it before enforcement.
San Bernardino Mandatory Organics Recycling
Significant RestrictionsSan Bernardino Municipal Code § 8.24.090(B), (C)(2)(e)
(B) Recycling and organics collection required. Each generator shall subscribe to a level of service with the franchised hauler that is sufficient to handle the volume of recyclable materials and organic waste generated or accumulated on the premises. Additionally, each generator shall ensure the proper separation of solid waste, as established by the franchised hauler, by placing each type of ...
Illegal Dumping
Dumping garbage or waste on any San Bernardino lot, street, alley or waterway is unlawful under Municipal Code Section 8.24.120. Violations are charged as misdemeanors carrying up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine, or filed as infractions at the City Attorney's discretion.
San Bernardino Illegal Dumping Penalties
Heavy RestrictionsSan Bernardino Municipal Code § 8.24.120(C)
(C) Dumping and burying. (1) No person shall dump, place or deposit upon or bury in any lot, land, street, alley, water or waterway within the city any garbage, recyclable materials, organic waste or substance condemned by the County Health Department or any other deleterious or offensive substance; provided, however, the provisions of this chapter shall not apply to any land used by the county...
Yard Waste Collection
Routine yard waste like grass clippings, leaves and tree trimmings goes out with organic waste collection under Municipal Code Section 8.24.010. Branches and trunks over two feet in diameter or four feet long count as bulky waste instead and need a special hauler pickup.
San Bernardino Yard Waste Collection Rules
Some RestrictionsSan Bernardino Municipal Code § 8.24.010 (ORGANIC WASTE, BULKY WASTE)
ORGANIC WASTE. Organic waste and food waste. ORGANIC WASTE is a form of solid waste when discarded into the waste stream. ORGANIC WASTE includes, but is not limited to, the following: (1) Plant material (branches, grass clippings, natural Christmas trees, palm fronds, leaves, shrubbery, tree trimmings, weeds); (2) Wood (non-toxic wood products without paint and foreign objects of appropriate si...
Dumpster Rules
Only the city's franchised hauler may place containers, including roll-off and commercial dumpsters, anywhere in San Bernardino, on public right-of-way, city property or private property. A dumpster placed by an unfranchised company is illegal and subject to a 24-hour removal notice, seizure and a paid reclaim hearing.
San Bernardino Commercial Dumpster Placement Rules
Significant RestrictionsSan Bernardino Municipal Code § 8.24.110(A)
(A) Containers - franchise required. The franchised hauler is the exclusive provider of containers for the collection of C&D, garbage, recyclable materials, organic waste and large items. This includes any and all containers placed in the public right-of-way, on city property, private property or elsewhere in the service area, for collection of C&D, garbage, recyclable materials, organic wast...
Collection Schedule
San Bernardino requires every occupied property to subscribe to at least the minimum level of solid waste service from the city's franchised hauler. Service must start within seven days of occupancy, and charges apply whether or not waste is set out on a given collection day.
San Bernardino Mandatory Trash Collection
Some RestrictionsSan Bernardino Municipal Code § 8.24.040(B)
(B) Subscription required. The property owner or tenant of each occupied premises shall have at least the minimum level of solid waste collection service made available to that premises by the franchised hauler, as specified in the franchise agreement between the city and the franchised hauler. At its discretion, the city may require a higher level of solid waste collection service if the curre...
Recycling Rules
San Bernardino Municipal Code § 8.24.090 requires every household, business and multi-family generator to subscribe to a recycling and organic waste collection level with the city's franchised hauler sufficient to handle the property's volume. Generators must separate materials into designated containers and post signage, with the City Manager auditing compliance annually.
San Bernardino Mandatory Recycling Rules
Some RestrictionsSan Bernardino Municipal Code § 8.24.090
(B) Recycling and organics collection required. Each generator shall subscribe to a level of service with the franchised hauler that is sufficient to handle the volume of recyclable materials and organic waste generated or accumulated on the premises. Additionally, each generator shall ensure the proper separation of solid waste, as established by the franchised hauler, by placing each type o...
Looking for San Bernardino County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement San Bernardino city rules.
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